Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara surrendered on Friday, Nov. 28, ₱110 million in cash to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as partial restitution for funds he admitted receiving from anomalous flood control projects.
“Ito ay bahagi sa mga kondisyon, terms at pagpapakita ng good faith,” DOJ Acting Secretary Fredderick A. Vida told reporters.
“Ang sabi n’ya sa akin, ‘Tutulong kami na mabawi, na makamit ng Pilipipino ang katarungan,” he added.
Vida said Alcantara, through his legal counsel Emil Joven, turned over the cash at the DOJ. Officials from the Bureau of Treasury and Landbank witnessed the handover.
Landbank will verify the authenticity and completeness of the amount before issuing an official receipt.
The ₱110 million forms part of the ₱300 million Alcantara committed to return.
Vida noted Alcantara struggled to raise the funds while detained at the Senate but promised to remit the balance within the year.
“Ang aming posisyon ay dapat cash,” Vida emphasized, adding that the amounts were determined based on Alcantara’s sworn statements regarding the anomalies.
The DOJ chief clarified that Alcantara’s liability will only be discharged in certain cases, stressing: “Hindi ho nagbibigay ang DOJ ng blanket immunity.”
The turnover followed a memorandum of agreement signed by Alcantara and former DPWH Undersecretary Bernardo with the DOJ, granting them provisional status under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).
Of those seeking state witness status in the flood control scandal, only Alcantara and Bernardo have been admitted.
Vida disclosed that several of Alcantara’s bank accounts containing more than ₱7 million, frozen by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, are being processed for transfer to the DOJ.
Bernardo, meanwhile, is expected to remit more funds, with the DOJ concurring with Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s position that Bernardo must return ₱1 billion. (Jeffrey Damicog)
